1. Field of the Invention
The invention concerns a spherical head coupling for Bowden cables, particularly for establishing a connection between an actuator and a control element in automotive vehicles, wherein the Bowden cable is equipped with a terminal piece comprising a ball socket and the actuator or control element exhibits a spherical head held in the ball socket.
2. Description of the Related Technology
In a known spherical head coupling for the above purpose, the opening diameter of the essentially closed ball socket and the diameter of the spherical head are correlated so that the spherical head may be brought to snap into the socket with a certain force by utilizing the elasticity of the material and is held in a freely gliding manner after the insertion or snapping in. The disadvantage of the Bowden coupling is that their mounting, alignment and potential disassembling involves considerable difficulties, if the application must take place under tight space conditions and/or in poorly accessible locations as in the engine compartment of automotive vehicles. This is in order to assure a joint of adequate strength; the opening of the ball socket and spherical head itself must be dimensioned in an overlapping manner so that considerable force is required, which under the tight space conditions and in less accessible locations is difficult to apply. The same is true to an even greater extent if removal of the Bowden cable is necessary, as the tensile forces required in this case are significantly more difficult to apply. Furthermore, after repeated mounting and removal operations expanded locations appear generally in the plastic ball socket, whereby the holding force of the connection is weakened, so that after only a few such mountings the Bowden cable must be replaced entirely.